It was a truly Scottish take on war propaganda a cartoon sending up Hitler’s infamous buzz bombs before sending the dictator homeward tae think again.
Now an original piece of artwork by legendary Beano artist Dudley D Watkins whose name is said to have been on a “death list” of enemies of the Third Reich due to his comic mocking of the Germans during the Second World War is set to fetch up to £1,500 when it is sold at auction.
The full-size framed Lord Snooty cartoon shows German bombers suspending a bee hive from swastika-adorned planes.
But they don’t faze Lord Snooty and pals who only try to take revenge because the “secret weapon” interrupts their football game.
The artwork was published in the Beano in April 1940 and is described by auctioneers as “an outstanding work”.
A full set of Oor Wullie annuals including a copy of the first edition that is expected to sell for up to £5,000 on its own will also go under the hammer at Curr and Dewar in Dundee next Tuesday.
Auctioneer Steven Dewar said the Oor Wullie books were attracting significant interest from collectors as they go on sale during the 80th anniversary year of the comic strip’s creation.
He said the books were found in an attic by their owner after he had spotted an identical one on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.
Mr Dewar added: “They were his father’s but he has no family and so the time was right to sell them.
“The last one of these first editions I saw on sale, at the end of last year, sold for around the £5,000 mark.
“I had put a note on our website about the Oor Wullie books and another seller approached me with the Dudley D Watkins artwork.
“It was drawn for Beano number 92 and appeared on April 27 1940.
“Whether there was a little bit of a government push to boost the people’s morale we don’t know.
“It is a great story, it really is.
“The thought processes behind these artworks are so incredible.”